They did a good job at the auction, but they missed out on fixing some weak areas.
The defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) retained six players from their squad before the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 auction. Their main plan at the auction was to bring back as many players as possible from last season’s team.
But auctions are always tricky. KKR couldn’t bring back all their old players, but they did manage to get a few of them. They did a good job at the auction, but they missed out on fixing some key areas. This could be a problem for them in the tournament.
They will be hoping to give their best and try to defend the title in the upcoming season.
Ajinkya Rahane (c), Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, Harshit Rana, Ramandeep Singh, Venkatesh Iyer, Quinton de Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Anrich Nortje, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Vaibhav Arora, Mayank Markande, Rovman Powell, Manish Pandey, Spencer Johnson, Luvnith Sisodia, Anukul Roy, Moeen Ali, Umran Malik.
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The Knight Riders have a good team for IPL 2025, but there are still some areas they might worry about. They will need to work on these before the new season starts.
Kolkata Knight Riders made a bold move before IPL 2025 by releasing star fast bowler Mitchell Starc. This decision surprised many fans because Starc was a key player in KKR’s IPL 2024 title win.
He bowled exceptionally well in the knockout stages, particularly against Sunrisers Hyderabad and assisted KKR in winning the final. Starc’s knack for picking crucial wickets in high-pressure games made him one of the most crucial players.
Since Starc is no longer in the squad, KKR’s pace attack seems inexperienced. The side will have to depend on young Indian pacers such as Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, and Umran Malik. These pacers have performed well in the past but are still young at this level. They will have to deliver should KKR retain their title in IPL 2025.
To provide extra depth to their pace attack, KKR purchased South African paceman Anrich Nortje. He has good pace and experience but he is injury-prone.
KKR also signed Australian pacer Spencer Johnson, who did well in the Big Bash League (BBL) but has not played much in Indian conditions. Without Starc, their bowling will be tested this season.
One big concern for KKR in IPL 2025 is how they will set up their top-order batting. Ajinkya Rahane, who is now the captain, likes to open the innings. He has scored most of his runs from the top position. But if Rahane opens, Quinton de Kock might have to bat at No.3. De Kock has not done well from that spot recently, scoring only 159 runs in 10 matches during the SA20 league. If KKR opens with Rahane and De Kock, then Sunil Narine may have to bat lower in the order. This might not be a good move, because Narine has helped KKR get fast starts in earlier seasons.
Another issue is that Rahane, being the captain, will play every game. Had he not been captain, KKR could have employed him as an impact player, the way Chennai Super Kings (CSK) did previously. They could insert him into the side when needed, or keep him out when the team required an additional bowler or power hitter. Now, since Rahane is in the playing XI, KKR loses that luxury. Because of this, they might struggle to achieve the perfect balance in their batting order.
Another concern for KKR is that they have only two specialist spinners in their playing XI. Varun Chakravarthy and Narine did well last season. Together, they took 38 wickets and were important in controlling the game during the middle overs. They often broke partnerships and stopped the flow of runs. But this season, if they are the only two spinners, it could be a problem.
On pitches that help spinners, or if one of them has a bad day, KKR might struggle. Other teams might target them if they do not get support from another spinner. Both Varun and Narine will have to bowl in tough situations and if they are over-used, it might not work well. If KKR comes up against a strong batting team that plays spin well, they could find it hard to stop runs or take wickets with just two specialist spinners.
KKR should include Spencer Johnson in their playing XI to strengthen their pace attack. Though Spencer is young and does not have a lot of IPL experience, he can be a big threat to the opposition. As a left-arm fast bowler, he adds variety to the bowling line-up, which can make it harder for the batters to settle. Spencer has good pace and bounce, which can trouble batters, especially in the powerplay and middle overs. He can also bowl a couple of overs at death along with Harshit Rana and Andre Russell.
Nortje has not played a match since December and is returning from an injury, making it risky to play him immediately. It would be better for KKR to trust Spencer who has done well recently. In the BBL 2024-25, he took 13 wickets in seven matches. In the Champions Trophy 2025, he bowled well against Afghanistan, taking two wickets and giving only 49 runs in 10 overs on a batting pitch in Lahore. So, KKR should give Spencer a chance in the team.
The best solution for the top-order batting for KKR is to slot Rahane at No.3. This allows Narine and de Kock to open the innings. Last season, Narine and Phil Salt gave KKR strong starts and a similar result can be expected if Narine opens with De Kock. Rahane has experience batting at No.3, as he did well in that position for CSK.
De Kock is also best suited as an opener. Since Narine’s aggressive batting has worked well at the top, KKR can continue with Narine and De Kock as openers. Rahane can play an important role at one down by holding the innings together if an early wicket falls. This top order can give KKR a strong start and keep the batting line-up balanced.
To make their spin attack stronger, KKR can use either Mayank Markande or Anukul Roy as an impact player. Markande is a wrist spinner and has good IPL experience. He can be useful on pitches that help spinners.
Roy is a left-arm spinner. He can bowl tight overs and also help with the bat if needed. Picking one of them will give KKR a third spin option. This will take some pressure off Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy. It will also give KKR more choices in spin-friendly conditions and help them control the game better in the middle overs.
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